UNSPSC 50401605: Martha washington asparagus

The variety of asparagus known as martha washington asparagus

UNSPSC 50401605 Martha Washington asparagus is a Commodity code that encompasses fresh produce sourcing and delivery for state and local institutional food service operations, including school nutrition programs, senior services, and correctional facilities. Recent opportunities reveal substantial demand for fresh produce procurement spanning school districts, county and state agencies, and specialized institutional buyers. The code captures a broad range of produce items — not asparagus alone — with state and local buyers sourcing apples, bananas, berries, broccoli, carrots, lettuce, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, and seasonal specialty items on competitive bid or RFP cycles. Issuing bodies include school districts (the dominant segment, with opportunities from districts in Texas, Georgia, Florida, Missouri, and Connecticut), state departments (Texas Department of Criminal Justice, State of Georgia), county school systems, and specialized agencies such as Head Start programs and senior center operators. School districts routinely solicit fresh produce for child nutrition programs under USDA reimbursement and federally funded Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program grants, while TDCJ and other state agencies procure bulk produce for institutional feeding operations. Many solicitations emphasize domestic sourcing, local or regional preferences (often within 200–400 miles), USDA Buy American compliance, and HACCP certification. Evaluation commonly weights cost at 30–50 percent, with quality, delivery capability, and local sourcing as secondary criteria. Insurance requirements typically demand $500,000 to $2,000,000 general liability and workers' compensation coverage. Contract terms usually run July 1 through June 30 with renewal options extending two to four additional years.

Geographic activity concentrates heavily in Georgia and Texas, with secondary activity in Florida, Missouri, Connecticut, and other states. The most recent and representative opportunities include McAllen Independent School District (Texas) issuing RFP 2026-1029 for fresh produce serving 20,000 students across 31 campuses with proposals due March 6, 2026; Meriden Public Schools (Connecticut) procuring groceries and produce for 8,200 students across 13 sites with an anticipated contract value of $3.1 million and proposals due February 25, 2026; the Douglas County School System (Georgia) issuing RFP SN 26-004 through the GEC Buying Cooperative covering 30 school districts with estimated annual spending of approximately $5.5 million across two geographic areas and proposals due March 4, 2026; Austin Independent School District (Texas) soliciting fresh produce and beverages through RFP 26RFP034 with proposals due March 11, 2026; and multiple Georgia school districts (Glynn County, Bulloch County, Dougherty County, Bryan County, Early County, Liberty County, Muscogee County, Savannah-Chatham County, and Henry County) conducting sealed-bid and RFP procurements for fresh produce with response deadlines spanning March through May 2026. The TDCJ has also posted multiple narrow commodity bids for carrots, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, and canned produce. Recent activity confirms ongoing, substantial institutional demand with consistent multi-district cooperative and individual district procurements throughout spring 2026.